Are My Vegetables Hungry?

[Previously posted on Practically Gardening.]

I’m not big on fertilizing plants. For one thing, it’s a time consuming, messy task. But my real reason is that I agree with those who say to feed the soil and let the soil feed your plants. When my plants look ill, I know it’s time to add some organic matter. Of course, I try not to wait that long, but time can get away from you in the summer.

So when I was asked how often vegetables need fertilizer, I really had to think. These are my suggestions, for a garden that has good soil. If your garden does not have good soil, start by beefing it up, rather than adding supplemental food. You’ll be amazed at the difference.

Early Season

Early in the season, when temperatures are still cool and the ground is just warming up, we mainly grow leafy vegetables. These are quick growers and as long as your soil is moderately rich in organic matter, they won’t need any additional fertilizer. If you’re soil is poor and you forgot to add compost, go ahead and give them a hit of all purpose vegetable fertilizer. Something balanced or high in nitrogen, like a kelp based food, would be find.

Main Season

When the heat loving, fruit producing crops like tomatoes, peppers, and corn, start growing, you will probably need some supplemental food. These are heavy feeders and they can deplete even the richest soils. I like to mix in a slow releasing, dry, organic food, before planting. It will slowly add nutrients to the soil and be available when these plants need them.

Late Season

By the time fall rolls around and the quick growing leafy vegetables start to re-fill my garden, it’s time to top dress with a bit more compost. There is never enough compost. I don’t usually bother with more fertilizer at this point, if I’ve added anything during the summer months.

Down Season

When I close my garden for the season and try to get my hoop house up in time, I do one more sprinkling of granular organic fertilizer. I top this with a layer of leaves. I don’t bother to shred them any more. They break down from all the freezing, thawing and snow fall. The worms love it and, until the soil is frozen, they come up and help turn in the fertilizer and break up the leaves. The fertilizer won’t do much over winter, but it should be there for my first spring vegetables to take advantage of.

I’ve lived in the Hudson Valley since I was a young child, except for a brief stint as a city girl, and consider myself a born again local. I was the gardening expert at About.com for over a decade, but my real fascination is with this beautiful valley. Some people gasp at scenery and say how it looks just like a painting. The Hudson Valley inspired an entire school of painters. I believe it is the most beautiful place on earth.

I also teach eCourses, and have a handful of books. I hope you’ll take a look at them. (My books) And I hope you'll stop by often, to hear about gardens to visit, plants to grow, and the occasional mussing on the poetic side of gardening. Thank you for visiting.

Thank You

"Lovers of edibles need to hang onto their socks! Marie Iannotti has given us a guide to growing 100 of the yummiest and most dazzling heirloom vegetables. I dare you to read this and not drool."

—Ivette Soler, author of "The Edible Front Yard"

“The writing here is as crisp as the layout, which uses colored page edges and a simple, slightly-New Englandy sense of style to get its point across. Best of all, it’s hard to think of anything NOT covered here… and yet there’s no sense of the text book in these pages, and only that homey feel one gets while actually gardening.”

—The Woodstock Times

"Half the interest of the garden is the constant exercise of the imagination." – Mrs. C. W. Earle